From Ancient Egyptians to Grumpy Cat: Why Are We OBSESSED With Cats?

• Cats. They are one of the most popular pets in the world. They’re all over cartoons, TV, and movies. They star in the best internet videos, so today, we are asking why are humans obsessed with cats? Humans and cats go way back, all the way to 7,500 BC — and their relationship only bloomed from that beautiful near beginning of human culture time. In 3,500 BC, four thousand years later, Ancient Egyptians revered cats for their ability to kill vermin like mice and snakes. Nobles in ancient Egypt would even breed cats and show them off at events that resemble modern cat shows, and some cats even received the same mummification burial as noble humans. Folks — cats have been viral for eons! And Egyptians weren’t the only ones!  Ancient Romans also revered cats, following the lead of Egypt, regarding cats as a symbol of liberty. During the Middle Ages, cats began to be associated with witches, demonic forces, and general bad stuff.  Around the 1600’s, the cats reputation began to change. By the 1800’s, cats became a popular pet. Cats have long been a part of popular culture. There’s Felix the Cat, Garfield, Sylvester, Tom and Jerry, Hello Kitty, and the Cat and the Hat!

• And who can resist the allure of a funny cat video?

• Modern cat owners say cats are great for companionship, plus their personalities make them fun to watch. Cats are the 2nd most popular pet in the United States behind fish. And you don’t need to own a cat to love watching it. Psychologists say humans experience the same feelings of joy and relaxation after watching a cat video as they do when playing with a cat in person.

• In the 21st century, we met a new kind of cat: The Lolcat. On January 11, 2007, Eric Nakagawa and Kari Unebasami, found an image of a happy grey cat with the meme caption “I Can Has Cheezburger?” For some reason, the two registered icanhascheezburger.com and started a web site to submit more images like I Can Has Cheezburger, and lolcats were born.

• Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com / Via: knowyourmeme.com

• Cats are entertainment icons, but what is it we humans like about them? Behavioral scientists have noticed that when humans look at cats, the amygdala in our brains lights up. It’s the part of our brain that processes emotionally important information. Cats naturally play with out emotions! Folks, cats are great. What do you think about cats? And what topic are we covering next? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.

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